Blade sharpener



Oct. 22, 1929. HANSON 1,732,360

BLADE SHARPENER Filed Aug. 7, 1926 Patented Oct. 22, 1929 UNITED STATES ADOLPH K. HANSON, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS BLADE SHARIENER Application filed August 7, 1926. Serial No. 127,817.

This invention relates to blade sharpeners of the type wherein the blade to be sharpened is drawn at an angle across the edges of a plurality of discs in a manner to remove a thin sliver of the blade material and is adaptable particularly for use in sharpening the blades of knives, shears, etc.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide a sharpener having a plurality of series of rotatably mounted polygonal shaped discs adapted to co-operateinamanner to form a recess through which a blade may be drawn for sharpening the cutting edge thereof.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device wherein the construction and arrangement of the various elements is such that when a knife blade or the like is pressed into and drawn through the recess formed by the edges of the discs the operative sharpen ing faces of said discs will be positioned automatically with respect to the blade and forced against the sides of the blade to provide effective sharpening contact therewith.

A further object of the invention is to provide a construction and arrangement wherein the discs are permittedto rotate on their axes to provide efiicient sharpening action of the co-operating sharpening faces, but limited in their rotation in a maner to retain the desired sharpening faces of the respective series of discs in co-operative relationship.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a construction wherein the discs may be permitted to rotate freely on their axes to bring new or unused sharpening faces of the respective series of discs into cooperative relationship and to secure them in desired position, and at the same time to allow sufficient rotary movement I of the discs to permit of proper angular positioning of the co-operative sharpening faces with respect to the blade or work and provide effective sharpening contact of said faces with the work.

A still further object of the present inveneion is to provide sharpening faces on the edges of the discs of a form to produce effective sharpening action when a blade is drawn in either direction through the recess and across the discs, and to improve devices of this character in sundry details hereinafter pointed out.

A preferred embodiment of the invention for accomplishing these and other objects is shown for illustrative purposes in the accompanying drawing, in which Fig. 1 is a plan view of a knife or shear blade sharpener embodying my invention.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the device shown in Fig. 1 and illustrating the manner of attaching the sharpener to a table, shelf, door casing or other suitable support.

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional elevation of the sharpener taken as indicated by the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Figs. 4 and 5 are diagrammatic views illustrating the angular positions that the sharp. ening faces of the discs may assume in operating on blades of varying degrees of thickness and depending on the angle of the out ting edge desired on the work.

F ig. 6 is a diagrammatic View of the in vention illustrating the adaptability of its use to shear blades or the like.

In the illustrative embodiment shown. a bracket or frame 10 may be provided at opposite sides of the base portion llthereof with upright parallel flange portions 12, the said flange portions adjacent their free edges being provided with aligned openings adapted to receive a pair of shafts 13 in parallel relationship with respect to each other. Mounted on each of the said shafts, in a manner to rotate freely thereon, are a series or plurality of polygonal shaped discs 14, preferably of hexagonal form, and spaced apart from each other and from the upright flange portions 12 of the bracket 10 by suitably positioned spacing Washers 15, the series of discs on the respective shafts being adapted to overlap at their adjacent edges in staggered relationship and in such a manner that the sharpening faces 16 of the discs on the respective shafts co-operate to form a V-shaped recess for receiving a knife blade or the like to be sharpened. The faces 16 of the discs are of flat transverse form adapted to provide a sharp right angular corner at their juncture with the sides of'the discs. Thus, it will be observed that a cutting or sharpening action v arrangement, the

will be produced on the blade or work by the discs whether the work is drawn through the recess in one direction or the other, thereby doubling the efficiency and effective life of the sharpener. If desired, the edges of the discs may be hardened to provide more durable and effective sharpening faces.

To limit the complete rotation of the discs 14, except as desired, the upright flanges 12 of the bracket 10 may be provided with apertures, preferably ad] a'cent their central por tion, for receiving removably a stop pin 17 shown in the present instance as an ordinary cotter pin adapted to extend between the flanges 12 in the planeof'rotation of the greatest diameter of the discs, thereby ,preventing complete rotation of the discs, but permitting .the discs to oscillate within :desired limits even when the stop pin is in position. It will be observed'fthat by such an effective co-operating sharpening faces of the respective series of discs forming the V-shaped recess such, for example, as the faces q, Figs. 2 and'3, may be movably secured against complete rotation and in co opierat'i've relationship so long as they retain their sharpening efficiency, but when they "have "become dulled by continued use, "the stop pjin 17 may be withdrawn from the upright flanges 12 and the .discs ofthe respective series rotatedon the shafts 1-3 to bring, for example,;the faces 7) 'intoco-operative. relationship, thereby presenting new or unused sharpening faces to the work, after which the stop pin'17 maybe replaced in the apertures of'thefflanges 12 to retain the faces 6 inco-operative relationship -un'tilsuch time as it is desired to again shift or rotate the discs to present new or unused sharpening faces to the work. This procedure maybe repeated .as often as 'may .be desired .01 until the efliciency of the sharpening faces 16 has been exhausted.

It will be observed also that in such a construction and arrangement the discs 14 are allowed sufiicient rotary movement to provide for the relative positioning of the cooperative sharpenin faces to adapt them to various types of 'bla es and to provide effective sharpening contact of the faces 17 with the sides of the blade or work when pressure is applied thereto, and at the same time prevents unrestrained rotation of the discs,thereby enabling the user to obtain andutilize the full efficiency of the sharpening faces. This result 'can not be accomplished where {the discs are free to rotate unrestrained in which case the p'ositioningfof the discs is beyondthe control ofth'e user and efficient co-oiperaof. By this arrangement a force exerted on the blade 0 in the direction of the arrow d, as the blade is drawn through the V-shapcd recess, will tend to rotate the discs in the direction of the arrows e, thereby causing the sharpening faces 16 of the discs to approach and snugly impinge the sides of the blade to provide a most eliicient sharpening contact therewith.

The base portion 11 of the bracket 10 may be provided with suitably positioned apcrtures 18 adapted to receive suitable fastening means, .s, for example, the screws 19, for securing the device to a table, shelf, door casing, or other suitable support.

It will'be observed from the foregoing descriptionthat the present invention provides anovel construction and arrangement wherein the co-opera'ting sharpening faces of the discs are underthe control of the user, thereby enabling the operator to utilize to the fullest extent the efliciency of the sharpening faces, and wherein the operative sharpening faces of the discs are positioned automatically with respect to the blade and forced against the sides of the blade to provide effective sharpening contact therewith.

Obviously, the. present invention is not lim ited to the specific construction and arrange ment shown and described but the same may be variously modified without departing from the spirit and .scope of the invention as defined by the claims. Moreover, all the features of the invention need not be used conjointly, as thesame may be used. to adi antage in variously different combination and subcombinations.

YVh at I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

i 1. Ina bladesharpener, the combination of a frame, a plurality of polygonal discs rotatably mounted in said frame and having vcooperable sharpening faces formed on their outer edges, the respective axes of said discs being positioned in substantially parallel relationship with respect to each other in a manner to permit the adjacent edges of the discs to overlap and be rotated toward each other when pressure is exerted on the co-operable sharpening faces, and unitary detachable means co-operable with the faces of all of said discs for limiting their rotation.

2. In a blade sharpener, the combination of a frame, a pluralityof polygonal discs rotatably mounted in said frame and having cooperable sharpening faces formed on their outer edges, the respective axes of said discs being positioned in'substantially parallel relationship with respect to each other in a manner to permit the adjacent edges of the discs to overlap and be rotated toward each other when pressure is exerted on the co-opcrable sharpening faces, and means mounted on said frame and co-operable with the faces dbl] r. uJ

of the respective discs for limiting their rotation.

3. In a blade sharpener, the combination of a frame, a plurality of Series of polygonal discs having sharpening faces formed thereon, said discs being rotatably mounted in said frame in a manner to position the sharpening faces of one series of discs in co-operable relationship with the sharpening faces of the other, and means mounted in said frame for limiting the rotation of said discs and readily removable therefrom for permitting the free rotation of the respective series of discs.

4. In a blade sharpener, the combination of a frame, a plurality of series of polygonal discs rotatably mounted therein, the axes of said series being positioned in parallel relationship with respect to each other and in a manner to cause the edges of one series of discs to overlap and lie in staggered relation with those of the other series, a plurality of sharpening faces formed on the edges of said discs, the sharpening faces of one series of discs being adapted to cooperate with those of the other series, and means co-operable with said faces of the respective series of discs for permitting a limited degree of rotation of said discs.

5. In a blade sharpener, the combination of a frame, a plurality of series of discs rotatably mounted therein, said discs having a plurality of sharpening faces formed thereon, said series of discs being positioned with respect to each other in a manner to bring the sharpening faces of the discs of the respective series into co-operable relationship to form a V-shaped recess adapted to receive a blade in a manner to rotate the discs toward each other and to force the sharpening faces of the discs of the respective series against the sides of the blade when pressure is applied thereto, and means intermediate said series of. discs for limiting the rotation of said discs with respect to each other.

6. In a blade sharpener, the combination of a frame, a plurality of series of independently rotatable discs mounted therein, said discs having a plurality of sharpening faces formed thereon, said series of discs being positioned with respect to each other in a manner to bring the sharpening faces of the discs of the respective series into co-operable relationship to form a il shaped recess adapted to receive a blade to be sharpened in a manner to rotate the discs toward each other and to force the cooperative sharpening faces of the discs of the respective series against the blade when pressure is applied thereto, and means mounted on said frame and co-operable with the respective series of discs for permitting a limited degree of rotation of said discs with respect to each other when such pressure is applied.

7. In a blade sharpener, the combination of a frame, a plurality of shafts mounted there being positioned with respect to the discs on the adjacent shaft in a manner to bring certain of the sharpening faces of the discs on the respective shafts into copper-able relationship to form a V-shaped recess adapted to receive a blade to be sharpened in a manner to rotate the discs of the respective shafts toward each other and to force the sharpening faces of the discs forming said recess against the sides of the blade when pressure is applied thereto, and means removahly mounted in said frame and co-operable with the sharpening faces of the discs on the respective shafts for limiting therotation of the said discs on said shafts with respect to each other.

8. In a blade sharpener, the combination of a frame, a plurality of shafts mounted therein in parallel relationship, with respect to each other, a plurality of independently rotatable discs loosely mounted on said shafts, means for spacing the discs on the respective shafts, said discs being provided with a plurality of straight sharpening faces of flat transverse form, the discs on one of said shafts being positioned with respect to the discs on the adjacent shaft in a manner to bring certain of the sharpening faces of the discs on the respective shafts into cooperable relationship to form a V-shaped recess adapted to receive a blade to be sharpened in a manner to rotate the discs of the respective shafts toward each other and to force the sharpening faces of the discs forming said recess against the sides of the blade when pressure is applied thereto, and means removably mounted in said frame intermediate said shafts and co-operable with the sharpening faces of the discs on the respective shafts for limiting the rotation of the discs on said shafts. m

9. In a blade sharpener, the combination of a frame, a plurality of series of polygonal discs rotatably mounted therein, the axes of said series being positioned in parallel relationship with respect to each other in a man nor to cause the edges of one series of discs to overlap and lie in staggered relation with those of the other series, a plurality of sharpening faces formed on the edges of said discs, the sharpening faces of one series of discs being adapted to cooperate with those of the other series in a manner to form a V-shaped recess adapted'to receive a blade to be sharpened, means mounted on said frame and cooperable with the sharpening faces of the re spective series of discs for preventing complete rotation of said series of discs and in a manner to permit a limited movement of the sharpening faces of the discs forming said V-shaped recess toward each other and toward said blade when pressure is applied to the blade. I

19. :In a blade sharpener, et'hQOOHTbilliLfiOIl of :a' frame, a plurality of .discs rotatably mounted in said frame and having 'ce-cperable sharpening facesfermed on their outer e es, the respective axes of said discs being positioned in substantially parallel relationship with respect to each otherinilsmanner to cause the adjacent edges of the discs :to overlap andto be rotated toward each other when pressure is exerted 'on said cooperable sharpening faces, and means for vqgreventing rotation of said discs .zbeyond predetermined limits.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name :to this specification, v=0n this 22nd day of July A. D1926.

ADOLPH K. HANSON. 

